William Northrup McMillan

Sir William Northrup McMillan (19 October 1872 – 22 March 1925) was a Kenyan settler, adventurer, and philanthropist.

Background McMillan was born at St. Louis, United States, the son of William McMillan. His father, a British subject born in Canada, moved to St. Louis in 1870, was naturalised as an American citizen in 1874 and established the Missouri Car & Foundry Company, which was one of 18 companies to be merged into the American Car and Foundry Company. McMillan's uncle was James McMillan who founded the Michigan Car Company and his paternal grandparents were William and Grace McMillan who had emigrated from Scotland to Canada.

Early life After leaving school, he first tried his hand at ranching in New Mexico before seeking further adventures abroad. As a young man he stood tall and muscular with a strong Texan drawl. His father died when McMillan was 29, leaving him with a large inheritance. He successfully invested the money in oil fields in Romania and rubber plantations in Malaya, which made him even wealthier.

A keen adventurer, his first expedition to Africa took place in 1902 and he was involved in an expedition to Ethiopia to ascertain whether the Blue Nile was navigable for which he was awarded two decorations from Emperor Menelik II. He then constructed a five-bedroom house on the property. The main house was followed by a three-bedroom manager's bungalow, a two-bedroom bungalow called "Lucie's bolthole", and three other bungalows housing the post and telegraph office, and rooms for chauffeurs and gardeners. The homes were fitted with electricity, running water, and a sewage system. He also maintained property abroad, namely in Berkeley Square, London, and rented Bicton House, Devon.

Politics After purchasing Juja Farm, McMillan became a leading figure amongst the European settlers. He first entered politics as a member of the Legislative Council for the Ukamba constituency. He died in Nice, France in 1925 at the age of 52. His body was returned to Kenya and he was buried at a site chosen by him prior to his death on the slopes of Ol Donyo Sabuk.